Pages

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Chowder & Bread

This morning we awoke to a hearty layer of frost on the ground. It was a beautiful, sun-lit morning that beckoned me to go for a walk. As soon as Tom left to take the girls to school, I bundled the boys up in their fleece buntings and put them in the baby jogger. They fell asleep five minutes into the walk which left me time to daydream as I huffed and puffed that heavy jogger up and down the hills.

And where do you think my mind would wander to but food! Its not that I was hungry, we had all just been happily satisfied with a big batch of buckwheat pancakes. This was a new recipe I was dreaming up. Since buckwheat was fresh on my mind, I began to put together a recipe for buckwheat bread. Buckwheat has such a great nutrient profile, is alkalizing to the body, and research has shown that it is beneficial for balancing both blood sugar and cholesterol. It also has such a lovely texture, much different than other gluten-free flours. It is soft and stringy when mixed with water. I wondered how it would work as the base for a yeast bread. Cinnamon would be a nice addition, and how about pecans and raisins. Mmm. I had all of the amounts carefully planned out in my mind by the time we got back.

But first I had to make sure I had the chowder started. This is a recipe I created a few weeks ago. I have had a few requests for it recently so I thought I would post it for everyone to enjoy. I went to the co-op yesterday to do some shopping and saw some beautiful fresh, wild Alaskan halibut there so I bought about 1 1/2 pounds. If you don't have a sharp knife or don't like to mess with taking the skin off of fish it is best to have them do it when you are purchasing it. I removed the skin myself today, though sometimes I have it done.

This chowder doesn't have any dairy in it; it gets its creaminess from mashing the cooked potatoes with the back of a spoon.

Halibut and Potato Chowder

A warming stew, great served with freshly baked rolls and sautéed dark leafy greens.

Heat olive oil in a 6-quart pot over medium heat. Add diced onions and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, or until soft and starting to turn a little golden. Add bacon slices, garlic, and herbs. Sauté a minute or so more.

Then add diced carrots, celery, and potatoes; sauté a few minutes more. Then add stock and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes or until vegetables are very soft. Take a large spoon and mash some of the potatoes up against the side of the pot to make the chowder creamy.

Then add the halibut and simmer for about 5 minutes more. Remove bacon slices and discard. Add chopped parsley and stir. Add salt and pepper to taste.

After our chowder was done we sat out in the warm November sun, something rather unusual for the Pacific Northwest, and ate our chowder. Gracie was too busy playing to eat much, part of not sitting at the table for lunch. A 3-year old just can't really focus when there is so much to do and see outside! And then the bread was done and it was time to put the babies in the bath. All that crawling around in the dirt had made them into little dirt balls! When I brought them upstairs Tom was in his office working and said to me "what are you cooking that smells so good?" It was the bread of course. A warm, yeasty, cinnamon smell wafting though the house. Who needs aromatherapy when you have bread?!

4/2/09 - Please Note, I have removed my bread recipe from the blog in order to perfect it for my next cookbook!

About the Author

Alissa Segersten holds a Bachelor's of Science in Nutrition from Bastyr University. She is the founder of Whole Life Nutrition, the mother of five children, a whole foods cooking instructor, professional recipe developer, and cookbook author. She is passionate about helping others find a diet that will truly nourish them, and offers elimination diet recipes, healthy gluten-free recipes, paleo and vegan recipes, as well as tips for feeding your family a nourishing, whole foods diet. Alissa is the author of two very popular gluten-free, whole foods cookbooks and guidebooks: The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook and Nourishing Meals. She is also the co-author of The Elimination Diet book. Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram!

6 comments:

HI Ali,Oh, yum. It has been cold and wintery here with snow flurries the past couple of days and your bread and chowder sound terrific for these cold days. I too love making chowder or soup with fresh veggies and wild fish. I like adding coconut milk to mine to make a even creamier.Your bread too sounds wonderful. I didn't know you could grind your own flours in a vita mixer. I was thinking about getting a grain mill but would love to get a vita mixer. So that is great to know.Also, I didn't know buckwheat doesn't need xanthan or guar gum. Great to know.I made potato bread last night with rosemary. Needed a bit more rosemary but it was delicious.thanks again,sarah

Beautiful soup and bread. Rob made the buckwheat pancakes from your book last weekend. He used your tip to substitute the egg with flaxseeds ground with boiling water. They were perfect - achieving the best texture for egg-free pancakes ever. Gotta love the buckwheat... I'd forgotten how alkalinizing buckwheat is. I think those pancakes will be our Sunday morning tradition. Love - April

Welcome to my blog!

Hi! My name is Alissa Segersten and I've had a love of healthy food and cooking since the age of 10. I have my degree in Nutrition from Bastyr University and am the author of three {gluten-free} food and nutrition books. When I was pregnant with my first daughter in 2001, I diligently began writing down my recipes because so many people would ask for them! Some of these recipes appeared in my first book, The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook. I now have 5 children and am passionate about educating them about our food system so they can make the most informed choices as they grow up and are exposed to a world of processed, chemical-laden foods. Join me in my mission of helping to support families with nourishing meals! Read more about me here.